Dems Ready Proposal on Code of Conduct

[Rose Siding]

WASHINGTON -- Democrats intend to unveil a sweeping plan this week to tighten Congress' code of conduct, officials said Saturday night, including a ban on lobbyists' gifts to lawmakers and a crackdown on special interest provisions slipped into legislation in the final moments before passage.

Eager to claim the mantle of reform in the wake of an election-year corruption scandal, Democrats also will propose doubling the current one-year cooling off period that former lawmakers or senior aides must observe before they are allowed to lobby without restriction.

The ban on lobbyist gifts would include meals and tickets to sporting or entertainment events as well as travel, according to officials familiar with the proposals.

The party's top leaders in Congress, Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada and Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, are scheduled to announce the Democratic proposals on Wednesday.

The officials who described their plans did so on condition of anonymity, saying they were not authorized to pre-empt the formal announcement.

......MORE........

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/14/AR2006011401074.html

[CatholicEdHead]

1. Without majorities in either chamber there is little chance of this

going anywhere.

[expatriot]

3. That is the intention.

If the Republicans stonewall, we'll take it to the American voter in November. This is our "Contract with America."

[babylonsister]

4. It won't put the repugs in a favorable light if they don't want

to consider this, what with their 'culture of corruption' expanding.

[Grown2Hate]

6. Win-win. In THAT case, HAMMER the Republicans that vote AGAINST the bill

in the midterm elections. Take out ads hammering them for voting against a bill attempting to clean up congress. Brilliant bill, I think. But then, I'm still a bit of a novice. :)

[Teaser]

10. Uh...that's how you do Election Year Politics

That's the idea...that you'll only get this reform with US in charge.

[Sinewave58]

11. Never a chance of seeing the House floor

unless The (R)'s are almost entirely tarred by Abrahoff (spelling???). The media won't be able to push it along w/o a definitive and simply-explained (R) scandal. I also wonder whether Rep. Pelosi could manage such a push if a real opportunity presented itself.

SW58

[ncrainbowgrrl]

12. Welcome to DU, Sinewave58!

:hi:

[jillan]

19. We will have to help her

Welcome to du:hi:

[Toots]

18. Maybe this will be the Democrat's "Contract with America"

Supposedly that is what got Republicans elected in 1994 by overwhelming margin. Democrats need something to be for because so far all they have going for them is they are against the GOP...at least in principle if not by action..

[FloridaPat]

2. Corporations have been writing a lot of bills for our congress critters

over the last few decades. Maybe it's time WE write the bills. We could start with this one. Then we can do election reform and campaign contributions.

[pinerow]

5. Best suggestion I've heard...

[hang a left]

14. Someone here proposed that all bills be made available on the

internet for a specific amount of time before they are voted on so that constituents interested may read them. Also I think that they should not be allowed to add last minute ammendments and then push them to a vote. All bills complete with any ammendments MUST be made available to "The People" to view say for 72 hours or something like that before they can be voted on.

Also no elected official can have any non-profit organizations or charities, or any other vehicle that can be used to launder money while they are in office.

I am sure if you give me some more time I could come up with some more rules for the DC Mafia to follow.

[bluestateguy]

7. I'd ban lobbyists from writing legislation.

Lobbyists, corporate and union trade associations, interest groups and PAC's should not be allowed to write legislation.

[hang a left]

15. Thats very good. Their contributions should be severely limited also.

[mom cat]

8. Without campaign finance reform, this is hollow. Congress critters

will forgo a few fancy meals as long as their campaign war chests are overflowing. I am afraid that the proposed reform is too little and does not go to the root of corruption.

[hang a left]

16. We should propose limits on all contibutions.

[Neshanic]

9. Say..we are working this side of the street....scram.

"As he officially jumped into the race for House majority leader on Friday, Arizona GOP Rep John Shadegg worked to cast himself as the underdog reform-minded candidate who is not as closely linked to lobbyists as his two opponents."

[DarleenMB]

13. It is NOT enough

Corporate lobbying should be made illegal. ANY corporate lobbying should result in the corporation involved losing it's corporate papers and being disbanded and it's head officers jailed.

Corporations should lose any and all "rights" they have been granted by various courts. The government of the United States is meant to protect the citizens, not businesses.

Just my two cents.

[NJCher]

21. Welcome, DarleneMB

Sounds like you've seen "The Corporation."




Cher

[hollowdweller]

17. My solution to corruption taken from former WV Gov candidate Pritt

Allow contributions only from businesses, people and organizations who were located in a members district. This would solve a lot of the problem. If the only people that could contribute to a campaign would be the ones that were physically located within that members district. This would force politicians to go door to door and take the pulse of their constituents, rather than just setting back and running negative ads. Also it would restore power to the local community, whose interests are often put aside over the interests of the big out of state contributor.

[hang a left]

20. That is another great idea.